The Sun. — London, England, 1810-11-21 00:00:00

I: of a Letter fJora Brigadier-General Blunt, to Lieti t:mant-Colutw,l Arbuthnot, dated l'eniche, t3th Odotier, i• 10. You twill be pleased to report to his Excellency ,rshal Beresiord, that, in consequence of in -14-rnation, I detached a party on the 17th under ;he command of Major Tlvares to fall in with the enemy's foragers, bat-untortonately -the enemy had rctired. . _ _ jor Pinto was detached . ye , terday for the same rirpose to a distane4-..0f five leagues. • He suc .;....eded in taking_ twenty-three prisoners, two of enemy were killed and one of the recruits. —lt is great gratification to see the alacrity with ..vlnch they offer thernSelves on every occasion. MY LORD, Pero KegrO, Oct. a 7, aro. The enemy still occupy the same positions in ont of this array which they held when I ad .;lres,ed you on the 20th instant. They have de ..:aciied some troops towards Santarem, and on the .'..;3d General Loison marched towards that place the division under his command; and it appears rum accounts from the • Com.natidng Officer at .thrantes, of the 24th, that a body of the enemy's :oral - ivy and cavalryentered Thou - tar on that day.— Die reports which I have received from the prisoners :Ind deserters which have been brought in concur in the accounts of the distress felt by the enemy for t lie want of provisions of all discriptions. They state t hat ttwy are collecting and preparing materials to c - oustrutt a bridge over the Tagus ; but although ve have a good view of that river from different parts of the ground occupied by the army, and have Officers and others employed on the left of the Ta gil:, to obseive the motions of the enemy, I have riot been able to discover either where this work ,is carrying on, or where the bridge is to be placed on the river, if it should be construeled. 'The enemy appears to be very 4nxinus to collect boats; and on the 24th endeavoured to drive a party of the Ordetianza from Chamthea, by the fire of artillery, in order to obtain possession of some which were under that place. Colonel Wilson tad been at Leyria, with the eayairy attached to G. neral Barciar's 'division, and had proceeded to Outem. The Advance of the in fantry was at Pumbal. • On the side of Obidos and Ramalhal, the British cavalry and a battalion of Spanish light infantry, ~rid :lie troops of the garrison of Peniche, confine the enemy's detachments; and they really possess no part of the country, excepting that on which their army stands. By the last accounts from General Silveira of the 171 h instant, it app;ars that all was quiet in the North; and he had not received any accounts of the march of troops in The patties of guerillas had isen more daring than usual; and they bad united in the neighbour hood of Valladolid, early in the month of (ktober, to the amount of fiteen hundred, in order to carry off a convoy of money which bad been raised in contributions !ran the country, in which attempt, however, they failed. According to the accounts of the 2 I st, from Es tremadura, ;t appears that Marshal Mortier's corps was still at Seville, and General Ballasteros was ob serving it from Aracena. The second Division of the Marquis de la Ro !liana's corps under General Carrera, arrived at Lisbon on the 25th, and will be with the army this day.—Nly last accounts from Cadiz are of the 4th instant. 1 have, &c. (Si i sued) WELLINGTON. NIY LORD, Pero Negro, 34 Nov. 18(0. I have not observed any alteration in the enemy's position or numbers since I addressed you on the eith ult. They have a considerable body of troops, prin cipally cavalry, on the Tagus, between Punhete and Santarem; and I have reason to believe that Loison's Division of Infantry had not marched in that direction, as I reported to your Lordship they had in my last dispatch ; some of the corps corn posing that Division have certainly remained in the camps in front of this army. The enemy have pushed some troops, across the Zezere above Punhete, principally cavalry, appa tently to reconnoitre the roads in that direction and the fort at Abrautes ; but I conclude that the rains which have fallen within these few days will have swelled that river, and that these troops will have retired again. • They are still reported to be at work upon ma terials for a bridge both at Santarem and Barquinha; bat I have detached Major-General Pane with a body of cavalry and infantry to the left of the Ta gus, from whom I hope to receive accurate accounts ut what is passing apposite to hiM on this side ; and he will endeavour to destroy these materials if it should be pratElicable. It is reported by all the deserters that the enemy's troops continue to suffer great distress from the want of provisions. It is impossible to form an estimate of the quan tity of provisions which they found in the villages on the ground which they occupy ; but it is ceftain, that they can draw none from any other part. of the dountry, the whole being in the possession of our troops. The garrison of Peniche, and the garrison of Obidos, which place Captain Fenwilll, of the Per tugese service, has lately occupied,' under the di rection of Brigadier-General Blunt, and the British cavalry, continue to carry on a destructive Warfare to the rear of the enemy's right, while the high road from Coimbra by Leyria is in the possession of Colonel Wilsott's detachment. I enclose a Letter from Marshal Beresford, on the effects of the operations of Brigadier-General Blunt and Captain Fenwick. I have received no Letter from General Silveira of a later date than the l nth October. He had not at that time, heard of the march of any of the cue- My's troops in Castille. He occupied with his detachment the roads from Almeida to Trancoso, Celorico and Guarda. He Lad heard that General Bonnet had evacuated the Asturias, and, it is supposed, had moved into Bis cay. I have letters from Estreinadura and Castromarin of as late a date as the e'rtli of - Oacker, stating that Mortier's corps was still at Scvitie in a very.ir“:ifi... eicnt state, and having.many sick. My • last accounts flout Cadiz are of the 2:.•d tilt. (Signed) • WELLINGTON. Y LORD, Sapataria, 3d Nov. ‘8(o. I have the honour to annex a return taken from the several Reports received fiorn Brigadier-General Blunt, of the number of killed and prisoners to the detachment which be sent flora Penich6 to Obidos, under the command of Captain Veowick (Lieuten ant in the Buffs) since his former Reports of the proceedings of that Officer, and which, with what had been previously reported upon, will make the amount of the enemy's loss to that detachment, be sides the wounded which they are generally emibled to carry off, about 169 men. • I take the occasion of remarking to your Lord ship the zeal and , judgment of Brigadier-General Blunt in re-occupying the towu of Obidos when the principal force of the enemy had passed it ; and be gives much applause to Captain Fenwick for his ac tivity and conduct in the command of the small de tachment he has been enabled to detach from Pe niche, under his command. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) . W. C. BERESFORD. To Lordyiscount Wellington, &c. &c. &c. Return of Killed, Wounded, and Prisoners,.by the Detach ment at Obi dos, under the Orders of Captain Fenwick, since last freport. ' 01. 2 7 th—I Serjeant, 19 privates, prisoners. Nov. is;-5 iirivates prisoners, 7 privates killed. 1. 1 . S 46 bullock and zoo sets of Hospital bedding taken from the enemy on the ist of November, likewise a horses. Sepataria, 3d Nov. /810. Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the Army un. der the Command of Viscount Wellington, in skirmishes with the Enemy on the 9th, tut), 13th, and 14th Odober, 1810. Killed —1 Serjeant, 19 rank and file, 22 horses. Wounded— 7 Officers, 7 Serjeants, 77 rank and file, to horses. Missing —1 Serjeant, 41 rank and file, i 2 horses. Names of Officers IVounded. Ist Hussars, king's German Legion—Captain Linsingen, slightly ; Captain Aly, ditto. 9stli Regiment—Captain per,ival, severely, not dangerous ly ; Lieutenant Ecles, severely. sth Batt. King's German Legion—Lieutenant Muller, se verely. Brunswick Infantry —Captain Schufeldt, severely. General Staff—Captain D. Nlerceo, Downing-Street, Nov. 19, 1810. A Dispatch, of which the following is a copy, has been this nuynitig received at Lord Liverpool's Office, addressed to his Lordship by Lieutenant-Ge neral Sir John Stuart, K. 8.• dated Messina, 22d September, 1810. MY LORD, Early on the morning of the 18th inst. our at tention was much occupied by the opposite move ments of General Murat, who, by. she embarkation of the principal body of his army in the whole of his long range of boats at Scylla and the Punta del Pizzo, and the disposition of these vessels after be • ing cast off from the shore, seemed to indicate a conclusive design upon the part of our line extend ing towards the Faro. While the attentiop of our left was engaged by: the above operation, inforniation was brought to me that a division of the enemy, having embarked at Reggio during the preceding night, had been perceived completing a landing upon our right, just before dawn, at about seven miles to the southward of Messina. Reinforcements, which were held in reserve in this garrison to move according to circumstances, marched to sustain our posts at the invaded point upon the first signal of alarm ; but the active vigi lance of the trobps stationed at that extremity of our defences, and their prompt and spirited beha viour, under the conduct of Major-General Camp bell, had already happily rendered the pregence of these succours unnecessary. The repulse of the enemy in this partial enter prize, and the equally 'disgraceful and precipitate flight of the French General who commanded it, with the sacrifice of so considerable a part of .his equipment, are more fully detailed in the ad joined Report from Major General Campbell to myself, on . the _ proceedings of this fortunate day ; and I hope his Majesty will be graciously pleased to draw an augur from the relation of" this officer of the future condual of this army at large, in any emergency of service which it way become their duty to encounter. The zeal, the warmth, exemplified by the neigh bouring peasantry in our behalf, and which were not manifested without a loss, and the judgment as well as alacrity with which I have since learnt that those in remoter distrias made immediate disposi tions to obstruct the progress ,of the enemy it,4 their possible attempt to penetrate into the country, were far beyond what I could have hoped or expected from their peaceful habits and so strongly was their animosity marked towards their, invaders, that the interposition of our escorts were frequently ne cessary to protea. our prisoners from their fury, in conducting thew, after their surrender, to the cita del of Messina. A colour inscribed as a gift from Gioacbino Na poleone to the Royal Corsican corps, said to be new for the occasion of the expedition, fell among other captures of the morning into our hands, and I hoPe his Majesty will be graciously pleased to approve my transmittal of this trophy to be respe&fully laid at the feet of his Sicilian Majesty, as a token of our zeal in support of his royal cause, and as a record that the first effort of a daring enemy to plant the standard of usurpation in this his second kingdom, and which still owns his rightful dominion, was re pulsed by a British army. I cannot close this communication to your Lord ship without expressing my official acknowledge ments to the great assistance I have derived from Lieutenant General Lord Forbes, as well as the other General Officers, and indeed, every depart ment and rank of this army, during a long period of four months, in which the contiguity and con stant menaces of an enterprizing enemy have de manded from us a system of unabating vigilance, to which every mind has submitted with cheerfulness, but which your Lordship will believe has not been without its fatigue. The - habitual, cordial, and friendly co-operation which I have received from Admiral Martin and the Naval force uuchir his orders, during this inter cal of anxiety, I have before hat occasion to men tion to your Lordship. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) J. STUART, • count of Niaida. SIR, .• Messina, Sept. IS. 1810. _ _ Being apprized about a quarto - past four this morning, that a detachment of the enemy's boats had apia . oached and fired upon the cavalry piquet at St. Stephano, I deemed it expedient to repair to wards that place ; and on my way thither, diico %wed (before day-light) a smart fire of nmsquetry, apparently near Mill. On my arrival at Mili„ found Lieutenant-Colonel Adam, with the 2 ts t re giment, very judiciously posted in that advantageous spot (supported by the 3d King's German Legion) with two six pounders ; 'and the riflemen of the King's German Legion in his front, beyond the AEU Fiumara, briskly exchanging shots with the enemy. Thus situated, and when full daylight rendered all objects distinctly visible, I clearly observed about forty of the enemy's large boats disembarking troops be tweeen St. Stephan° and Galati, which, as they gained the shore, pushed on and occupied the Crest of the whole ridge of rising ground, extending from the place of their debarkation to the front and right of the Mili Fiumata. • Every measure of precaution was adopted to oc cupy the mountain passes adjacent to the Mai posi lion.; • and while thus employed, and eagerly watch ing the enemy's further movements, I observed not only an hesitation and period to his further advance upon the heights, but that he was actually hastily re-embarking his troops nearest the beach, occa sioned, I have no doubt, by the spirited and unt•x pealed manner in which he was brought 'to action by the 2d Light Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Fischer, which, moving from its cantonments of St. Pla c id.,, hung uvon his rear and left. I had no sooner satisfied 'myself as to this point, than I di rected the 21st regiment, with two six-pounders, to move briskly forward by the great road and beach from Mdi, preceded by the riflemen of the 3d and 4th liiHg's German Legion, and hankers of the 21st regiment, which produced the double effect of pre cipitating the enemy's retreat to his boats, and throw ill; into our power the whole of the corps which had gained the heights, and others whom their boats abandoned to his fate. I understand this corps to have been under the orders of General Cavignac, and to have consisi-ed of two battalions of Corsicans, I ,t battalion of the o Neapolitan Light Infantry (6 companies), Ist batta lion of the line Napoleon Infantry (6 companies); Ist battalion of the 4th of the line Neapolitan Infant!) , (six companies), in all about 3500 men ; of whom, oue of the Corsican battalions, with a stand of co- • lours,. a Colonel and Chef de l'Etat Major oiDivi sion, a Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant, with forty inferior officers, including an Aid-de-Camp of Ge neral C.Nlgnac, and upwards of eight hundred sot dier, have surrendered prisoners of war at discretion. It is now only necessary for me to add, that the. corps which repulsed the enemy were Capt. Joerres' troop of the 20th Light Dragoons; the 2d Light In fantry Battalion (to whom every praise is due for the spirited and masterly manner in which it made the first impression upon them) ; tic riflemen of the ad and 41h- King's German Legion ; the 21st regiment; and a portion of the 3d King's German Legion ; as also a detachment of the Royal Artillery, with field-guns, under Lieritenant Cotton. To Lieutenant-Colonel Adam, of the 21st regi ment, I was peculiarly indebted : his thorough knowledge of the country and passes would have enabled us to anticipate and check the enemy, had be endeavoured to move further than I was accompanied by my Aid-de-Camp, Captain A'Court, whose alive exertions were Conspicuous to all. I have also to mention, in terms of acknow ledgment, Captains Hill and Frcul!er, Assistant 'Adjutant-Generals, and Lieutenant Burke, Aid-de- Camp to Major-General Spencer. The whole of the condud of the troops was cheerful and animated; and the best disposition in aid of us waS exhibited by the peasanty of the country, who, with arms, and every other weapon of offence they could coi led, flocked to our immediate assistance; and, what is most consolatory, we have not to' regret the loss of a single officer killed or wounded.. Two men of the 21st regiment, and one rifleman, were slightly wounded in this singular incursion of the enemy. I have the honour to be, &c. J. CAMPBELL, Maj. Gen. and Adj. Gen. P.S. I have not been able accurately to ascertain the loss of -the enemy. Two Officers of the Corsi can battalion are among their wounded, of which there were many, as well as killed upon the field. His most material loss must have been upon his re treat, and in the boats which were completely within the range, not only of our field guns, but also of our musketry ; one boat was sunk, one deserted to' us, and 'many were disabled. Reports have also been received that several dead bodies have floated on shore near the scene of action. The peasantry have likewise brought in as prisoners a considerable number, who concealed themselves' in the country. J. CAMPBELL, Maj. Gen. and Adj. Gen. ACTION OF JULY 24. Marshal Massena, not content with the, gross mis representations which were contained in his first official account of the affair of the :22d July, near Almeida, has in a subiequent dispatch reverted to it in a tone of boasting wholly unjustified by the cir cumstances, assuring the War Minister that his whole army is burning with impatience to teach the English army what they taught the division of Craufurd in the affair of . Almeida, Briga dier-General Cranford has therefore determined to give this public contradiction to the falSe as sertions contained in Marshal Massena's report of an action, which was not only highly honour able to the light division, but which positively ter minated in its favour, notwithstanding the extraor dinary disparity of numbers. A corps of 4,000 men remained during a whole day in presence of an army of 24,000 men ; it performed in the presence of so superior a forCe one . of the most difficult operations at war, namely, a retreat tram a very broken and ex• tensive position, over one narrow r',efile ; it deiel'ted, during the whole of the day, the first defens ible pe t s llo on that was to be found in the neighbourhood ot ' rse place where-the aEtion commenced ; and in Ihe co this of the glair, this corps 014,000 men inflicted oP °. ,est army of 24,000 men a loss equal to d o uble which it sustained. Such were the circrenst"de of the action in which Brigadier-General Crant.irby corps was opposed to the army command'!" a nd Marshals Massena and Ney, on the .'4th J ul y' ess t it is, therefore, indisputable that they had the of it. From Marshal Massena's official dispatch, e°111310.. 11 ; ing a statement of the force to which we w er i e posed, it appears that the cavalry consisted 0 . . 1 ' e d , hussars, 15th chasseurs, tulle loth, and a 51 1., goons ; and that the whole of the infantry of J-N d c ii , ) i, carps was present, except one regiment of ttt e stop of Marchand. The infantry of Nee's c°r P,,,ted cording to the intercepted official returns, anti :3 '7o e s at that time to upward of 22,000 eth.,ttlves . 4 0 cavalry regiments were certainly between S i% the seven hundred each. It therefore appears tildroa. force with which Marshals Massena and NeY eeig vaeced to attack the light division, on the, 00"" ; i d of the 24th July, consisted of 20,000 inta ntr Y between 3 and 4000 cavalry ; to which were th e posed three English.battalions (433, .52d, an d 95 „ e . e) two Portuguese battalions (Ist and 3d chn e je and'eight squadrons of cavalry', making . in th e w ou esd a force of about 3200 British, and 1100 Fol lu p troops. edge Almeida is a small fortress situated at the e the declivity, forming the right bank of the ',be of the Coa, which river runs from the sooth t°, l o north, and the bridge over which is nearly an fl e elt mile west of the town. FlOgl the 21st to th e e dS„ July, the chain of our cavalry outposts f or b e ing semicircle in front of Almeida, the right flank b l ot appuye to the Coa, near AS NdieS, W hie! ) is a a lio three miles above the place, and the lett flan c ii appnye to the river, near Chico Villas, ‘ch tc e about three miles below the fortress. The ce nt s to this line was covered by a small stream and eft 61 6 principal roads by which it was expected enemy 00,1 enemy would advance, namely, on the rigi'trei centre of this line, the cavalry pests were suPP ° by picquets of infantry. e O l t The only road which, our artillery and "- of our cavalry could make use of to• retreat is' de Coa, was that which leads from Almeida e t , i i s ult bridge. The nature of the ground made i t 11 .` for the energy to approach this road on o ur /el t : i t he is to say, on the North side of the toWn tt .3P °' intantry of the division was therefore place ( ' ": 2 ,,50/1 sition to cover it on the right or South side , ! J se , its right flank appuye to the Coa above the 6/1 410 its front covered by a deep and rocky ravhie , left in some inclosuies near a windmill, wh iGj I. l °, the plain Amu. 800 yards south of the town' tl etY Governor intended to mount a gun upon tht s mill; and one was ataually in it, but 'it Wa s t ' s , et' as it was not mounted ; and another (also disn' e itso ed) was lying near the mill. These are tb i ,ol o guns which Marshal Mass e na says he 1 00 k , action. r On the morning of the 24th, the centre of line of picquets was attacked, namely, th at occupied the road leading fr o m Almeida t ° , la Mula, which village is ab o ut f o ur Engl is ` l , o r,tsl'; east of the fortress. Thes e piequets wer e slq j b 0" ed by the 14th light drago ons and too gu n : t 's (f t : when the head of a consid era bl e co lumn, ''„ o t h tillery, presented itself, and b eg an to fora' other side of the rivulet, the picquets we re e ft' drawn. The enemy thes passel the rivule t ' n ye " 1 , nonade took place, and the eaetny formed °,ooo' fifteen squadrons of cavalry, 'at the distance o e V a mile from the above-mentioned windat' 7 ,o o artillery in its front, and a division of ah °Li teolJV infantry on its right; other troops were see n, riot so distinctly, e upon dvancing.upo our righ t ' e esed s te It being . now evident that w e were orr such a force as to render it impossible for Dt' o l , the General Crautord to prevent th e investrne n i t 0 r3 51 1 ' place, be determined to cross th e Co.. h e , e to' ed the artillery and cavalry to move off by ;sill; leading from the town to the brid ge , and , t `;o3 l- j try to follow, retiring across th e vineyard s ' s hoo' the bridge. He directed that the infant r y o ece i ' move off in echelon from the 'left, it be in g t e nary to hold the right till the last, in ordc l. „ - s f ee t " vent the enemy approaching the bridge w' b etv coming from Junca, and whi c h runs in th e of the valley close to the river. of ,• Some companies, which f or med the le ft line, were in a vineyard, which had been 5° 0 0: pletely inclosed by a high stone wall, that it v se lo possible for cavalry to get into it ; but th e . V ° l d ding night. having been excessively 50nie rl bad, • I t troops. who had been stationed in this 00)30141 Unfortunately pulled / dawn . the .wall m an y e shelt er wh ic to make use of the stones to form a the rain, which -was mos' 'violent. This w ell ' a co°; Brigadier-General Craufurd had considered Oo plea defence, was, therefore, no longer s i tic e fk _„ l " h s after our artillery and cavalry had move" tv",,tl enemy's cavalry broke into the inclosure 3.-er9 • several prisoners. Our total loss in Pri s° , n r ee" P' i missing amounted to about sixty, were at first returned as such h a d joined the ments. • , The 433 regiment, having been on the ' e '„ , line, was the first that arrived near the bridg` o i Brigadier-General ordered some cornpaoie6A the it( occupy a height in front of the bridge, a n ,", 5 00 1 ,1, tuainder to pass over, and torn) on the heig a ",i t -Pe d , after all t"'ir resl otherd side of the titer. Part of the 9' In te ° and the 3d battalion of Chasseurs, who j a rr i t h i l e f were formed on the right of these reel('a ! `, l )l „ -- e . 43d regiment, that were in front of the 01 % , position was maintained until every thing i s t v en %l ee !' and until one of the horse artillery tennu n ' rl 5- a „es b Bons, which had been overturned in a ver e sid c oi ation, was got up and dragged to the othe` ja y r d the men. During the remainder 01 th e , f etfreo bridge was most gallantly defended by the dox part of the 95th regiments, arid after it d, retreated from the Coe. To retire in tatheal order over sorb te r p broken, rocky, and Interseeed with Inl'`'eyealiii which separated the,firse position front ti o ode r , would have been impossible, even if n° t 013° fire of the enemy and the Mound on 11),, ilite Oci M an , S UI t te v ve44 1 Y "re, P r dilly N. mite WOVE 31. 3 1 1 ',.1th Y Ol , 2. fr Gi n Pric e v _ 'oar( 3. 1 1 1131 She (3 lie Pape tow 4le6i stat(